face serum

On the Shelf Vol. 2 – Face Serums and Oils

September 26, 2018 Swati 2 Comments

Hey all! I am a major hoarder of the face serums and oils and I usually have loads of them in my closet at any given point of time. Interestingly, I ordered for Biotique ageless serum while I am typing away this post. Well, old habits die hard and if you find something interesting and inexpensive being raved about, how can you skip it? So, let me breakdown the products into face serums and oils.

Face Oils

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Bought a long time back and I have not managed to reach even half of the bottle. You need just a bit and you are good to go. The oil is really light in texture and sometimes not enough to combat the dryness. Overall, I do not have much to say about it except it smells nice thanks to the lavender essential oil.

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalene

I have used it a couple of times but honestly I am not very impressed. I am not sure if I know how to use the product correctly yet but it makes my skin too oily. Anyways, this is a product which is still under trial so reviews are yet to come.

Indulgeo Rose Gold Oil

One of my whim buys which I liked using but I have to use it regularly to say a word about it. For now, I like it as it makes my face glow.

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics

September 21, 2018 Swati 2 Comments

Have you ever come across a product which is just plain water? Apart from floral waters and mists, of course. Well, the ordinary’s marine hyaluronics is one such product. I was looking for something hydrating to be added in my skin care and this was the better option from the brand so I picked it up.

The Ordinary brand has received loads of buzz in the recent times thanks to its extremely low price range and equally diverse product range. It comes from the umbrella of Deciem, the niche beauty brand which believes in serious skin care. Now, does marine hyaluronics fall in that category?

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics Product Review

Price : 10.90$ for 30ml

Availability : I got it from cultbeauty but it is available on other websites as well

Ingredients

Kiehl’s Vitamin C Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate Serum

March 30, 2018 Swati 6 Comments

Kiehl’s Vitamin C Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate Serum

Vitamin C along with hyaluronic acid has become the latest trending skin care ingredient. Kiehl’s Vitamin C is one of the products in the market with 10% vitamin C concentration. Vitamin C is great at reducing pigmentation, induces collagen production, protects skin from sun rays, fight breakouts, exfoliating the skin and improving the hydration levels of skin to a certain extent. It is applied before sunscreen to boost the protection and in the night to improve skin quality. If used alone, Vitamin C serums are drying in nature so they do control oil production as well.

Never apply vitamin C serums on damp skin. Vitamin C gets neutralized on contact with water. It must be the first product to go on your skin.

Kiehl’s Vitamin C Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate Serum

Price : Rs 5000 for 30ml

Yes, very expensive but it lasted for me at least 3-4 months easily using two pumps once a day and I am still left with one third of the bottle. Kiehl’s Vitamin C is yellowish in color and a bit drying to touch but I found that it can be used alone as well. It has hyaluronic acid so it hydrates as well. The feel of the serum is a little papery and does not require a lot of blending in. Apply in dots and just pat it all over. It makes my skin a little dewy but controls the oil production and shine to a little extent. Applying this makes it easy for me to use a little more sunscreen.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

March 23, 2018 Swati Leave a Comment

If ever in my entire life, I had multiple bottles of one single product at the same time, it is four bottles of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. Now, I am down to three – two 100mls and one 50ml – and they would last me at least a year. One of the classic beauty products in the market, it has been around since the eighties.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II Product Review

Price : Rs 7,900 for 50ml

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum comes in a dark colored bottle with a dropper which is pretty handy. It is peach colored and runny in texture but not too runny. Gets absorbed into the skin instantly. Suitable for all ages and all skin types, it is non-comedogenic (meaning does not block the pores), oil free and fragrance free.

Forest Essentials Soundarya Advanced Serum {Product Review}

February 9, 2015 Swati 1 Comment

Forest Essentials Soundarya Advanced Serum for anti-aging skin care Product Review

Lets not call this a review because it has been almost a year since I have finished the product! I was looking through the blog photographs for product reviews when I came across these snaps. Since I have never seen any review of this product, I thought I would at least do a quickie mention of it.

This is the most expensive product I have bought till date and that was only because it was my wedding and I could indulge in a bit of luxury. I always had an eye on this product. Well, it says it has gold so who will not be interested, right?

And, did I receive any compliments when I used it? I guess yes when I had just started using it but then I was drinking coconut water also that time 😀 Now, did the gold in the product do anything for my skin? Well, I am really not sure about that neither do I think the gold displayed any anti-aging properties!

Ingredients

The pic is a little darker so here is the transcript!

Cold Pressed Sesame Oil (40%), Clarified Ghee (18%), Sweet Almond Oil (16%), Cow’s Milk (9.2%), Liquorice (4%), Shirish (3%), Vansh (3%), Turmeric (2%), Saffron (1.5%), Sandalwood Essential Oil (1%), Ashwagandha (1%), Methi (1%), 24 Karat Gold Bhasma (0.3%)

Price: Rs 2750 for 25ml (very expensive!)

Availability: Online on various websites, Forest Essentials Stores and Outlets

Packaging: Very elegant but actually it is plastic. I would have preferred a glass packaging.

Fragrance: Had the fragrance of the product bothered me, I would have surely remembered it! So, I guess it might have been fine.

Texture: As you can see in the pic, the serum is not really dense. It does not leave behind that oily feeling.

Usage and Results

Now I do not really remember all the details.

One to two pumps of the product is enough to cover the face and neck. Because of the expense, you would obviously be judicious in using the product. Also, any more can get oily, depending on your skin type! I do not remember whether it is enough to moisturise your skin.

The results are not visible immediately but yes the skin gets plumper. The effects on the aging lines and fine lines might take sometime to show. My skin did look glowing in the initial days of using the product but I am not very sure how long it lasted though!

My Verdict

What I remember thinking was that it is more of a luxurious buy. But, honestly said, that would not deter me from buying the product again, if I have the dough to spare. For now, I am contending myself by finishing the products in my over-flowing shelf!

Have you used this product? How did you like it? Does the gold in the serum sound interesting to you? Would you like to try the product? Do share your views in the comments below!